Creativity

The Psychology of Discovery and Invention

By: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The classic study of the creative process from the national best-selling author of Flow, Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reveals what leads to these moments - be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab - so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly 100 interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his 30 years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the "tortured genius" is largely a myth. Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world.

©2013 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (P)2015 Gildan Media LLC

Terrific book! And the reader is magnificent!

I adore this book. It is based on interviews with many creative people- creative according to the quite restrictive definition of the author, which guarantees that the people studied have made creative contributions to their fields. The in-depth interviews supply clear and moving stories to illustrate the author’s conclusions- stories that stay in the mind and heart.

A special acknowledgement to the narrator: he is clear and engaging. But he is so attuned to the content that from time to time I realize that, yet again, I have felt as though I am hearing the author himself!

Great perspective on creativity

At first the author walks you through the stories of many characters and their experiences in different fields. It also provides a few tips of to more to be more creative in a our daily life.

Like a flint strike to the tinder!

I bought the physical copy halfway through listening, because taking notes/highlighting was too much work. I've been out of college for a decade, but am immediately put back in practice. This should be required reading for any creative!

Astounding! So relevant and detailed!

What made the experience of listening to Creativity the most enjoyable?

Everything
I have been waiting for a book like this from MC for a long time.
Brilliant and practical and quantitative.
I love Sean Pratt's narrations.I have over 40 books of his narration
You will love this new gift to the world!

Very interesting and useful

Lots of interesting facts and anecdotes. Took me a bit to get over that John Hodgman isn’t the narrator.

Sean Pratt is exceptionally good

the performance helped make the experience of this audiobook one of the best I've heard. the research helps not only to explain creativity, but also personal development in any field.

Absolutely fascinating!

This book explores the importance of creativity in our world and the many processes by which to be or become more creative. A must read for all in my opinion!

Great Insights into Creativity and Creative People

What did you love best about Creativity?

This book from the psychologist who coined the term "flow" focuses on what differentiates extraordinarily creative people. In this book he does a wonderful job of discussing how a domain and the field devoted to that domain impact the creative people in that field. He also brings out lots of great insights from his studies of extraordinarily creative people and touches on what it takes to develop the meta-skill of being able to turn almost any activity into an occasion of flow.

It's great material for anyone who fosters creativity in others or for people looking to better understand and harness their own creativity.

Mission critical research

Humans being the creativity engines that they are, this research, and the author's lifetime of research is so important. Book is engaging too. Lots of great insight into interesting people's lives.

Humanity's future rests in our creativity

I thought I knew a lot about creativity but this opened my eyes to a lot of things I do that I wasn't aware of. It was fun! You'll enjoy this book if friends have described you as creative.

It also broadened my mind to the "domain of global responsibility" in chapter 12, how certain acclaimed creative individuals take it upon themselves to oversee what the implications of human innovation has on the planet, and to look out for the common good (instead of profit or progress, which is what governs the implications of innovations by default.)
Humanity's future, for better or for worse, rests in our creativity. This was such a fascinating concept that alone makes me happy I read this book.

The interview monologues from successful creatives were also very enjoyable to listen to. The book was well structured, and the narration was smooth and clear.